Device for marking book-signatures.



No. 660,637. Patented .0st, 30," [900.

Q. T. HEBRMANN. Y DEVICE FOR MARKING 800K SIGNATURES.

(Application Bled Aug. 11. 1900.1 No Model.)

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Patenied oct. 3o,

C. T. HERRMANN.

DEVICE FOR MARKING BOOK SIGNATURES. (Applicatiqn tiled Aug. 11, 1900.)

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htm/nuja UNITED ASTATES PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES T. HERRMANN, OF NORTHPORT, NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR MARKING BOOK-SIGNATURES.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,637, dated October30, 1900.

Application filed August 11, 1900. Serial No. 26,6 21. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES T. HERRMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Northport, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Device for Marking Book-Signatures,ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for marking book-signatures; and it hasfor its object to produce a device of this kind which will be simple,cheap, and eflicient; and it consists in the improved construction andnovel arrangement of parts of the same, as will be hereinafter moreparticularly set forth.

In printing books, pamphlets, dac., the leaves are printed in sets orgroups called signatures, each containing eight leaves or sixteen pages.These signatures are so arranged that when they are properly folded thepages of each signature will follow each other consecutively and thepages of the consecutive signatures will also run consecutively. Afterthe dierent signatures have been printed and folded the binder takes onesignature from each group and arranges them in consecutive order andbinds them into a book; but it sometimes happens that in gathering upand arranging the signatures for the book some of them may beomitted,duplicated, or misplaced, which will impairthe value of theVbook and entail loss and injury tothe publish er. Although thedifferent signatures are usually numbered consecutively from 1 to asmany as there are signatures, these numbers are generally placed at thebottom of the first page of each signature, and as soon as thesignatures have been placed upon each other for binding all of theindicating charactors except upon the first page are hidden-V fromviewand there is no means of knowing;

whether the signatures are properly arranged or not except upon anexamination of each signature, which requires too much time to bepractical. To obviate this difficulty and enable the binder to tell at aglance whether the signatures are properly arranged or not,

kl provide means for providing each signature upon its outer fold with amark which will be visible after the signatures have been collected forbinding, but which will be coveredr by the binding, and thereby preventits being an injury to the appearance of the book.

These marks are so arranged that a glance at the rear or folded edges ofthe signatures will A vwhen the signatures are being printed and to makethe marking apparatus adjustable, so

that after one set of signatures has been printed the apparatus can beadjusted to print the mark upon each succeedingr set just a trifle toone side or the other of the preced-` ing set. By printing them in thismanner when the-signatures are properly arranged the marks will appearas a' dark diagonal line across theback of the pile of signatures; butif there be a. mistake made in the arrangement in any manner it will bemade apparent bythe broken or disarranged appearance of the line. v

Although any suitable means can be used for printing the marks upon thesignatures, l have secured very satisfactory results from the apparatusshown in the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-nu*merals indicate corresponding parts in each of the views in which theyoccur, and in which- Y i .Figure l is a perspectiveview of my improvedsignature-marker. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same.Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View. plan View. Figs. 5 and 6 aredetail views. Fig. 7 is a plan view of one side of one of thesignatures. natures properly arranged, and Fig. 9 is a similar View of apile with the signaturesim-` properly arranged.

Fig. 4 is a top` Fig. 8 is a yview of a pile of sig` Referringmoreparticularly to theV drawi ings, l indicates the base or mainportion of i my improved signature-marker, whichrmay be of any desiredlength and suitable area in cross-section. The base is preferably `madei square or rectangular troughshaped in' crosssection, within which isjournaled a screwthreaded shaft 2. The ends of the shaft are journaledin blocks 3 and 4, which are rigidly secured in the ends of the baseinany desired manner, as by screws 5. A collar o' is secu red to one endof the shaft to bearv against the block at that end and is provided witha notch IOO 7, into which a locking-bolt 8 is projected by means of aspring 9, seated within a recess in said block. The bolt is providedwith a pin or catch 10, by means of which it may be retracted forpermitting the rotation of the shaft, and it is provided with shoulders11,

which engage with the collar 6 to limit its- `plate 17 is secured to theblock above the pinion to hold it in position.

Mounted upon the shaft 2, Within the base 1, is ascreW-threaded block18, Which is adapt- 'ed to be moved back and forth as the shaft isrotated. The top of the block extends above the tops of the Walls of thebase and is 'provided With a transverse dovetailed groove 19, Withinwhich is adjustably secured a marking lug or point 20. The bottom of thegroove 19 is even with the top of the walls of the base, so that thebase of the lug 20 can be moved back and forth in its groove above thetops of the Walls. The lug is preferably located at one end of the lug,so as to rest on top of one of the Walls of the base When in itsoperative position, and the main portion is slotted longitudinally, asshown at 21, for the reception of a screw 22, by means of which the lugmay be adjusted to the required position.

The entire apparatus is of such a size as to be assembled with andvirtually become a part of the fu rnitu re When the forms are locked up,and the'lug is of such a height that it Will be even With the top of thetype or other printing-surface, so that with the passage of the markingapparatusit will receive its share of the ink, which will be depositedon the signatures as they are run through the press.

In using my improved marker it is placed with the forms in such aposition as to cause its lug to stand on Vthe line ofthe outside fold ofthe signature-aa for instance, between the first and last pages, aspages 1 and 16. of the first signature, as shown at 22 in Fig. 8. Afterthe desired number of these signatures are printed the form is takendown and a new form made up for the sueceeding signature, the shaft 2being rotated sufficiently to cause the lug to be moved slightly towardone end or the other of the base. Each succeeding form is made up in4this manner and the lug shifted substantially the same distance foreach signature, or the forms can all be made up at the same time with amarker for each form, the lugs of the diiferent markers being soarranged that the mark will be placed in the proper position on eachsignature. When the shaft 2 is being rotated, the locking-pin 8 isWithdrawn from the notch 7; but after thelug has been moved to thedesired point the pin is released and permitted to enter the notch andhold the shaft against rotation. After the signatures are printed theyare folded With the mark upon the outside fold. They are then collectedinto a bunch or pile ready for binding,l which Will cause the marks ofthe different signatures to appear as a diagonal line 23 in Fig. 9; butit' an error should be made in arranging thesignatures the line Would bebroken or disarranged, as shown at 24 in Fig. 10, thus showing at aglance what and Where the trouble was and enabling the bookbinder toreadily correct it, and thus produce a perfect copy of the book insteadof an imperfect one.

Although I have shown what I consider the most convenient and desirableform of embodying my improved signature-marker, yet I reserve the rightto make such changes and alterations therein as will come Within thescope of my invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire toobtain by Let ters Patent of the United States, is-

1. Ina signature-marker, the combination, With a movableindicating-point, of means for moving the same so as to impress theouter fold of the signature.

2. In a signature-marker, the combination, With a base, of anindicating-point movably secured thereto, and means for moving saidpoint.

3. In a signature-marker, the combination, with a base, of anindicating-point on top of the same, and means for adjusting said pointlaterally and longitudinally of the base.

4.. In a signature-marker, the combination, With a base, of a shaftjournaled therein, a

block engaging with the shaft and providedv with the indicating-point,and means for rotating the shaft.

5. In a signature-marker, the combination, With a base of ascrew-threaded shaft journaled therein, a block engaging with the shaft,the top of which is provided With a transverse groove, anindicating-point, the base of which is slotted and fits Within saidgroove, a screw through the slot into the block, and means for rotatingthe shaft.

6. In a signature-marker, the combination, with a base, of a shaftjournaled therein, an indicating-point in position to be moved by saidshaft, a lock at one end of the shaft and an operating-shaft at theother.

7. In a signature-marker, the combination, With a base, of a shaftjonrnaled therein, one end of which is provided with a notched collarand the other end is provided With a flanged and geared head, a lock forthe collar a pinion in engagement With the head, and an indicating-pointon the base in position to be moved by the shaft.

8. In a signature-marker, the combination,

TIO

with a square trough-shaped base, of a block in each end thereof, one ofwhich is recessed and slotted on top, a screw-threaded shaft journaledin said blocks, one end of Whichis provided with a notched collar, aspring-actuated locking-pin in the recess in one of the blocks providedwith a catch and having its outer end adapted to enter the notch of thecollar, means for rotating the shaft, and an indicating-point on thebase in position to be moved back and forth by the shaft.

9. In a signature-marker, the combination, with a square trough-shapedbase, of a block CHARLES T. HERRMAN N.

Witnesses:

JOHN N. WHITEMAN, GEO. BABoocK.

